Latest news with #Matthew Sylvester
The Independent
4 days ago
- The Independent
Man jailed for threatening police with ‘gun' made from Primark bag
A man has been jailed after he threatened two police officers with a fake firearm he made from a brown paper bag. CCTV footage showed Matthew Sylvester, 37, chase a police car and point a fake gun at the officers, who assumed in the dark that the weapon was real. Police constables Dan Arthur and George Oliver responded to a report of a man who was using a trolley to try and break into a shop in Telford town centre at around 10pm on 22 February. West Mercia Police said that the officers didn't realise 'the wannabe burglar' was preparing for police arrival, using a jumper to cover his face in a nearby trolley park where he forged an object to mimic a gun. When he spotted the patrol car enter the car park, he immediately charged at the officers with his imitation firearm. The officers moved away from Sylvester, only to find themselves stuck behind the car park barriers. He went to the passenger side of the car, where he threatened PC Oliver and kicked the vehicle. The officers quickly called for backup as they couldn't see in the dark that Sylvester was not holding a gun. The 37-year-old moved to open the boot of the police car, before the two officers got out of the car and pursued him on foot, as Sylvester ran in the direction of a housing estate. Before he could leave the car park, the two officers tackled him to the floor and removed the jumper covering his face, where Sylvester - who is known to the police - was revealed. Police established quickly that the firearm was a brown paper bag that Sylvester had folded up to look like a handgun. The suspect, of no fixed abode, was arrested at the scene for offences including having an imitation firearm and assaulting an emergency worker. Chief Inspector Matt Sanders said: 'When officers are sent to an ongoing incident they are going into the unknown. That night, PC Arthur and PC Oliver responded to an attempted burglary, and came face-to-face with a man whose clear intention was to cause harm and distress to police. 'Sylvester's actions were calculated, going to great lengths to ensure officers were called to the scene, including threatening members of the public and trying to break into a shop. "He covered his face with a jumper to ensure he wasn't recognised by officers before manipulating an object to look like a small firearm so he could threaten whoever was responding. 'The bravery and professionalism shown by both PCs that evening was nothing short of extraordinary. "Fortunately, neither officer sustained any injuries, and Sylvester was swiftly arrested thanks to the quick thinking and actions of both officers that night, along with those who also came to their aid.'No-one should come to work and face violence, and we thank our officers that day for their bravery and dedication to keeping communities safe.' He was later charged with a number of offences including two counts of assaulting an emergency worker, possession of an imitation firearm to cause distress, possession of class A drugs and attempted burglary. Sylvester pleaded guilty to all charges at Shrewsbury Crown Court halfway through a week-long trial on Wednesday last week. On Friday, he was sentenced to 16 months for imitating a firearm, and three months for assaulting two emergency workers to run consecutively. He was also given four months for causing fear and violence and one month for possession of a class A drug (cocaine). Both are to run concurrently.
BBC News
7 days ago
- BBC News
Man brandished 'gun' made of paper bag at police in Telford
A man has been jailed after using an imitation firearm made out of a brown paper bag to intimidate police in Sylvester, 37, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting an emergency worker, possession of an imitation firearm to cause distress, possession of class A drugs and attempted burglary in Friday, at Shrewsbury Crown Court, he was sentenced to 19 months in incident happened on 22 February, when West Mercia Police officers were called to reports of a man using a trolley to try and break into a shop in Telford town centre. Upon their arrival, Sylvester used a jumper to cover his face and forged the gun by folding the brown paper charged at the officers in the patrol car brandishing the "gun".The car, while trying to move away from him, got stuck behind car park barriers, which was when Sylvester threatened one of the officers through its window and kicked the officers called for back up as it was dark and they believed he had a real opened the car's boot and threatened the officers again when they got out of the car, and a chase was tackled and arrested."Sylvester's actions were calculated, going to great lengths to ensure officers were called to the scene, including threatening members of the public and trying to break into a shop," said Ch Insp Matt Sanders."He covered his face with a jumper to ensure he wasn't recognised by officers, before manipulating an object to look like a small firearm so he could threaten whoever was responding."The bravery and professionalism shown by both police constables that evening was nothing short of extraordinary." Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
